Improvement in cotton-presses



J. B. GRIDLEY.

COTTON PRESS.

No. 111,739. Patented Feb. 14, 1871.

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JOHN 113.- GRIDLEY, oraomsvrnnn, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR o1 ONE-THIRD HISRIGHT TO ROBERT PATTERSON AND OHAU'NOY RICE.

Letters Patent No. 111,739, dated February 14, 1871, antedated February2, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT m corrou-raesses.

the Schedule "(and to in than Loreen Patent and making put of them.

To all whom it may concern drawn downward by means of a chain passingthrough thegroove of a clutch-wheel, and is raisedby cords connectedwith an independent Windlass.

The invention consists principally in a drop-chain.

Jreld by the'side of aadbeneath a clutch-wheel, by means of a devicecalled a spoon, for the purpose of preventing the links from slippingout of the clutch wheel, said spoon being so'arrauged it may readilybe'made to drop by its own weight away from the clutchwheel, and thusrelease the chain therefrom.

'. The invention also consists in a device for preventing the chain fromrising in the groove to the-oppo--- siteside of the clutch-wheel fromthe s mon-aforesaid; also, in a device for preventing the chain fromlllll'lh ing while it is running in either direction; also, in

rubbers attached to the follower in such a manner as to steady the samein itsmotion upon its guides, and to prevent the latter from beingforced outward by the material in the press, said rubbers being soshapedas to allow the follower to tilt as much as maybe necessary; also,in an arrangement whereby the same rope and Windlass that raise thefollower are used to draw it'forward into position upon its guides inthe press-box, afterthe follower has been drawn back in the usual mannerupon the guide-ways at the top of the pressbox, in order that it may beout of the way,

at the cotton while the latter is being placed in the -In the-drawing- Ais the press-box.

a-, the follower-bar. I ,7

.b b, the chains by which the followeris lowered, the manner ofoperation of which chains being well known it is not necessary todescribe.

c c, grooved sheaves near the ends of the followerbar, over which thechainsb i'dn.

(I (I, the clutch-wheels, which are fixed on shafts e0 between parallelbeams ff, that project horizontally from each end of the press-frame, inthese beams the shafts 0 being mount-e h, the spoon, by which, when itis pressedagainst he periphery, the chain 1: is confined int-he grooveofthe clutch-wheel. Each spoon It has a concave face which fits theperiphery of the clutch-wheel.

The spoons are pivoted between lugs i, which extend toward each otherfrom the inner sides of the beams f.

In fig. 1, k are levers, each of 'which is jointed at one extremity intoone of the beams f, and which may be turned over the outer ends of thespoons h into grooves made for thereception of each lever in the outerend of that one of the beams f to-which the lever is not jointed. Whenthe levers are thustnrned into their groove over the spoons the latterare held in contact with theclutch-wheels. When the levers k areturnedwoffrom the spoons h, the latter, beingbars on that are attachedc'ross-wiseto the upper sides of the beams f. The fingersl extend intothe grooves of the chitel'z-wheels and prevent the"chain's from risingtherein to points opposite the spoons h.

In fig. 1, n are blocks fixed in the outer ends of thefollower-bar a. kI n; are grooves cut in the inner faces oft-he blocks a, which grooves.the chains b partially enter as they move up or down, bythese grooveslsaid chains being kept from twisting. e

.ln,fig. 1, on are vertical posts at the ends oi the press-box, whichposts pass through the central groove. of the follower-bare and serve asguides for the same, and also to prevent cotton't'rom oozing out attheends of the press-box while the follower is descending. I

-r r are rubbers, fixed in the bare in contact with the outer sides ofthe guides 0. By the rubbers 'r the follower is steadied in itsmovements on the guides,

and the latter are also held against the outward pressare 'of thecotton. The'rubber's are made convex in form on the sides next theguides 0, so as to admit t are cords,fastened at one extremity to thewindlass a, passing thence up over sheavesu in the topcross-pieces c ofthe press-frame thence over sheaves a in the same cross-pie'ces; andthence downward to the follower bar-a, to which the opposite ends of thecords are secured.- 0n turning the wind'lasss the follower is raised bymeans of the cords t. the top of the press-box and clear of the-guideso, the follower is drawn aside upon the guicle ways w, fig. 2, so thatit may be out of the way when a fresh supply of cotton is placed in thebox.

The press having been recharged, it is necessary Arrived at.

that the follower should be drawn over the box. This is done by turningthe windlass s in the same direction in which it was turned to elevatethe 'iollowr,

the arrangement being-such that when the follower. is drawn back uponthe guide-ways a: the motion of the Windlass is thereby reversed, sothat to draw the follower over the box again it is only necessary tocontinue the motion of the Windlass in the original direction.

In fig. 2, B are hangers, which connect the top cross-- 1. The chain 1),when held by the .side of and beneath ,the clutch-wheel d by means ofthe spoon h and lever k, substantially in the manner and for the purposespecified.

2. The'fiuger l, in combination with the grooved clutch-wheel (l,substantially as and for the purpose described.- 1 V p 3. Thefollower-bar a, guides o rigidly attached to the press at their lowerends and loose at their upper ends, and convex rubbers 1', all arrangedas'explained.

4. The arrangement of the Windlass s, cords t sheaves 'u w, andfollower-bar a, suhstantiallyas specilied, and to the end that thefollower may be drawn over the press-box by a continuation of the samemotion that elevated it.

- JOHN B. GRIDLEY.

Witnesses:

SOLON (J. Knmox, CHAS. A. PETTIT.

